2008–2009 - Florida Institute of Technology

BIO 5030 CONSERVATION BIOLOGY (3 credits). Demonstrates the synthetic
nature of conservation biology drawing from the disciplines of genetics, population
biology, biogeography, ecology, wildlife management, human ecology and natural
resource management. Illustrates conservation issues using case studies from a wide
variety of global ecosystems.
BIO 5034 PALEOCLIMATOLOGY AND PALEOECOLOGY (3 credits).
Discusses how and why climate has changed, and how those changes have influenced
ecosystems. Also covers species migration, speciation, community change and
biogeography. Provides tools to develop climatic and ecological histories.
BIO 5036 EXPLORATION OF ANIMAL BEHAVIOR (3 credits). Emphasizes
lab analysis of behavior in animals. Students perform ethological observations and
design and conduct experiments testing mechanisms underlying specific behavior.
BIO 5037 NAVIGATION AND ORIENTATION OF MARINE ANIMALS
(3 credits). Introduces the behaviors, mechanisms and cues used by marine organisms
for navigation and orientation. Stresses functional significance and evolution of
orientation behaviors.
BIO 5038 BEHAVIOR AND SENSORY BIOLOGY OF FISHES (3 credits).
Investigates the behavior of fishes as it relates to ecology, reproductive biology and
social systems. Integrates the role of fish sensory systems with the expression of
these adaptive behaviors.
BIO 5040 MARINE MAMMALOGY (4 credits). Covers the evolution, classification,
zoogeography, anatomy and general life history of marine mammals.
BIO 5042 FEEDING ECOLOGY OF FISHES (3 credits). Addresses the feeding
biology of fishes, emphasizing the interplay between theoretical and practical
aspects of fish foraging research. Involves lectures and discussions on foraging theory,
ecological and functional morphology of feeding in fishes, effects of disturbance on
fish foraging and influences of exotic species on fish ecology.
BIO 5045 REPRODUCTION AND RECRUITMENT OF MARINE
FISHES (4 credits). Discusses the processes of reproduction and recruitment of
marine fishery species. Topics range from the physiological and behavioral characteristics
of reproduction, to the molecular events of fertilization, to the influences of
oceanographic processes on larval and juvenile life stages.
BIO 5047 ECOLOGICAL PHYSIOLOGY OF FISHES (3 credits). Addresses
how the physiology of fishes is affected and regulated in response to environmental
changes. Fishes inhabit a vast range of habitats that vary with respect to biotic and
abiotic factors. Successful maintenance of populations in challenging environments
requires responsive adjustments in physiology.
BIO 5055 ECHINODERM BIOLOGY (4 credits). Studies the anatomy,
physiology, ecology, evolution and systematics of the marine phylum Echinodermata.
Emphasizes recent advances in knowledge of echinoderms. Includes individual and
group labs.
BIO 5060 BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY OF SEAGRASSES (3 credits).
Lectures, discussions of recent literature, and independent or group lab study of the
truly marine angiosperms. Covers the systematics, anatomy, physiology and reproduction
of seagrasses, along with autoecology and community ecology of tropical and
temperate seagrass meadows.
BIO 5065 NATURAL HISTORY OF THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON
(4 credits). Field examination of the flora, fauna and descriptive ecology of the Indian
River system along the east coast of Florida. Emphasizes understanding natural history
in relation to geologic history, biogeography, human society and recent problems
in resource management.
BIO 5070 PHYSIOLOGICAL ECOLOGY (3 credits). Lectures and discussions
on the physiological adaptation of organisms to environment.
BIO 5075 MULTIVARIATE ANALYSIS IN BIOLOGY (3 credits). Teaches
graduate students how to apply various multivariate techniques in analyzing biological
data using a hands-on problem-solving approach. Includes principal component
analysis, cluster analysis and discriminate function analysis.
BIO 5080 MECHANISMS OF BIOLOGICAL CLOCKS (3 credits). Surveys
the primary literature of processes underlying rhythmicity including neural, cellular
and molecular mechanisms. Focuses on circadian rhythms in vertebrate and invertebrate
animals.
BIO 5085 BIOLOGICAL IMAGING (3 credits). Introduces the application of
image processing techniques to biological problems. Includes the acquisition, enhancement
and quantification of 2-D images, motion analysis, and processing in 3-D.
BIO 5090 NATURAL HISTORY AND MANAGEMENT OF THE UPPER
ST. JOHNS RIVER (3 credits). Comprehensively examines the upper St. Johns
River ecosystem. Focuses on the biology and ecology of the terrestrial and aquatic
organisms of the various habitats. Examines both natural and human-influenced
habitats and the management of this critical Florida ecosystem.
BIO 5120 ECOLOGY OF TROPICAL COMMUNITIES (3 credits). Lecture
and field examination of aspects of the population and community ecology of tropical
marine systems, especially coral reefs and mangroves. Emphasizes factors influencing
community structure and the relationships between representative populations.
168 Florida Tech
BIO 5140 CORAL ECOLOGY (3 credits). Focuses on both theoretical and
practical aspects of coral ecology, including hands-on taxonomy and assessment of
the functional response of coral reefs to environmental factors and thermal stress
at a global scale. Emphasizes identification of processes and regulatory phenomena
driving the dynamics of coral communities.
BIO 5420 PRE-COLUMBIAN ECOSYSTEMS (0 credits). Investigates through
ecology the extent to which pre-Columbian occupants of the Americas influenced
ecosystems. Includes archaeological, anthropological and ecological data that
contributes to understanding the key debates about what is natural in the Americas.
(Requirement: Graduate standing.)
BIO 5421 NEOTROPICAL ARCHEOECOLOGY (3 credits). Studies the
impact of human activities on past and present ecology. Integrates regional archaeology
with modern ecology to compare sites with and without past human impacts.
Uses field techniques that include forest census in megadiverse environments, sediment
coring and curation of specimens. Prerequisites: BIO 5420.
BIO 5501 CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (3 credits). Overviews
molecular mechanisms used to regulate fundamental cellular processes. Emphasizes
gene expression, cell growth, replication and differentiation, and on intercellular
communications.
BIO 5502 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION
(3 credits). Introduces current concepts of cellular signal transduction. Includes
hands-on experience in essential techniques including production of fusion proteins
and quantitative microinjection.
BIO 5510 CURRENT TOPICS IN ECOLOGY (3 credits). Readings and discussions
of recent advances and new concepts in ecological research.
BIO 5515 PHARMACOLOGY AND DRUG DESIGN (3 credits). Overviews
basic principles of pharmacology, emphasizing preclinical studies used in the
development of new drugs. Includes structure-function relationships, dose-response
curves, target based drug assays, rational drug design and in vitro cytotoxicity assays.
BIO 5521 REGULATION OF ANIMAL AND PLANT DEVELOPMENT
(3 credits). Looks at the mechanisms that govern animal and plant embryonic
development. Covers in detail the modern methods of experimental developmental
biology. Spans the genetic, biochemical and molecular mechanisms that govern
specific aspects of development. Emphasizes the review and discussion of current
primary scientific literature.
BIO 5522 BIOINFORMATICS, GENOMICS AND PROTEOMICS
(3 credits). Introduces the new sciences of genomics and proteomics. Emphasizes
the software tools used to search, analyze and understand DNA, RNA and proteins
(bioinformatics). Intended for students planning a career in medicine, biological
research, biotechnology or pharmaceuticals. (Requirement: Graduate standing or
instructor approval.)
BIO 5537 APPLIED BIOTECHNOLOGY (6 credits). Focuses on the collection,
isolation, characterization and screening of natural products, especially from marine
organisms through fieldwork and labs. Includes taxonomy, microbial isolation, collection,
extraction preparation, bioassay and chemical structure determination.
BIO 5539 MICROBIAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (3 credits). Overviews microbes
as producers of economically important proteins and other organic compounds.
Includes expression of proteins from cloned genes, antibiotics, fermentation, bacterial
degradation, environmental applications and culture methodology.
BIO 5545 GROWTH AND DIVISION OF CELLS 1: PROKARYOTES
(3 credits). Covers the molecular biology of microbial reproduction, emphasizing
chromosome and plasmid DNA replication, the cell division cycle, regulators of gene
expression and the mechanisms of cell division in bacteria.
BIO 5546 GROWTH AND DIVISION OF CELLS 2: EUKARYOTES
(3 credits). Covers the molecular biology of the growth processes of a variety of
eukaryotic cells, ranging from yeast to human cells in vivo, including the mitotic
cycle, oncogenes and growth factors, cellular senescence, tumor development and
cancer therapy.
BIO 5570 DNA STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION (3 credits). Advanced focus
on DNA biology emphasizing current research topics covering DNA structure-function
relationships, particularly the dynamic nature of DNA and the interaction of
DNA and proteins to regulate gene expression. Examines prokaryotic, eukaryotic and
viral systems.
BIO 5571 DNA INTERACTIONS (2 credits). Considers recent literature sources
on how DNA interacts with a variety of agents, energetic radiations, small-molecule
chemical mutagens and carcinogens, and large regulatory and repair protein
molecules. Students assimilate seminar skills required for professional scientific
presentations.
BIO 5575 BIOLOGY OF CANCER (3 credits). Comprehensively overviews the
biology and molecular biology of neoplastic disease. Emphasizes recent research with
oncogenes and oncogenic viruses. Presents lectures on causes, spread and treatment
of cancer.